Printing machine



June 10, 1947.

W. R. ALLEN ETAL PRINTING MACHINE Original Filed June 29, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ha. I

WILLIAH )EA 0021:: I1.

INVENTORJ fit-Alba! v By An fia/fifhan. mm

June 10, 1947. L ALLEN r 2,421,824

PRINTING MACHINE Original Filed June 29, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. WILLIAM R. A LLEN 4-4 HA2! 2.! H. IAN! June 10, 1947. w, ALLEN ETAL I 2,421,824

; PRINTING MACHINE Original Filed June 29, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORJ WILLIAM RAgEMq-J By (Ir/Ans: hi AND Wet/45: ran/( 71M June 10,1947. w. R. ALLEN ETAL 2,421,824

PRINTING MACHINE Original Filed June 29, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Q 44 42 43 LIZ? i L it U w U I ma 42 W g 406 INVENTOR. WILLIAM A. A1451, I BY Camus: H. .rmw

Patented June 10, 1947 ram'rmc momma William R. Allen, Shaker Heights, and Charles .11. Sand, Willoughby, Ohio, assignors to Addressograph-Mnltigraph Corporation,

Cleveland,'0hio, a corporation of Delaware Original application June 29, 1942, Serial No.

Divided and this application March 10, 1944, Serial No. 525,818

. 3 Claims. (01. 101-1325) 1 Thi invention relates to means for reproducing matter on the planographic principle by the application of a greasy image to a carrying sheet,

thereafter applying to the sheet repellent to prevent adherence of ink to the non-printing regions of the sheet, and applying ink effectively to the printing image and non-effectively to the nonprinting region. This application is a division of application, Serial No. 448,912, filed June 29, 1942. The object of the invention is to provide an extremely simple system and mechanism for reproducing images by this principle in a manner adapted to be carried out by an operator without special skill in planographic reproduction. The

Important objects of this invention are to en-.

able a master to be treated in any manner which may be required by the nature thereof after it has been installed in the machine so as to thereby enable the master to perform its intended function in the machine; to utilize an arrangement which may be selectively rendered effective or ineffective for applying a required treatment to a master; to so arrange the apparatus that is effective to apply a treatment to a master that it may be rendered effective either when the master is initially installed in the machine or from time to time in the course of use of the master should this be found to be necessary; to so arrange an apparatus of this character that a quantity of the material required in the treatment of the master may be stored therein; to utilize a Wick arrangement for withdrawing the material required in the treatment from a quantity thereof stored in the apparatus and for applying the material to the master; and to facilitate installation and op eration of an apparatus of the aforesaid char acter..

To the above ends, wehave provided an offset printing machine comprising a drum on which a sheet carrying a positive or non-reversed image, may be readily attached, a coacting oflset drum carrying a yielding blanket, and a platen roller coactingwith the ofiset drum, and have provided a peculiar system for applying the repellent and ink as necessary to the image sheet.

More particularly, we provide inking means to engage the sheet and deliver ink to the ink receptive image, and we provide two repellent applicators. One of these applicators comprises a receptacle to contain repellent and a wick immersed therein-and extending into position adjacent the image carrying drum and adapted, whenever desired, to be caused to engage the image sheet. The other repellent applicator comprises a in roller having an absorbent surface serving the double purpose of removing excess repellent ap- 5 plied to the sheet by the first mentioned applicator and storing such repellent within the absorbent surface material of the roller available for application to the sheet on a subsequent rota-.

tion thereof. We provide simple means for pressing the wick against the image sheet whenever desirable but leaving such wick normally out of contact with the sheet.

In operating this system of reproduction, the image-carrying sheet is first clamped on the drum, then the rotation of the drum started, and then the repellent wick pressed against such sheet in the absence of ink while the storage roll removes excess repellent and thus has its absorbent surface gradually saturated with the repellent. After a few revolutions of the drum with the parts in this condition the wick is moved out of contact with the master sheet and the inking mechanism is thrown into action and successive copies may then be printed on paper passed between the offset cylinder and the platen, the sheet being automatically covered with repellent from the absorbent roller acting on regions of the sheet before they reach the inking roller. This operation l method above outlined. Details of such apparatus will be apparent from the following description of the disclosure in the drawings.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a printing machine embodying our invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same Fig. 3 is a vertical section on a larger scale in a plane indicated by the line 33 on Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of the machine in a plane indicated by the line 44 in Fig. 1.

I It is convenient to describe first the construction of the particular machine shown in the drawings, to form a background for the features with Which the present invention is concerned.

The frame of the machine shown in the: drawings includes two parallel vertically disposed side plates I 6 and Il between which various operative parts of the machine are disposed. Thus, a, transfer cylinder C is mounted on a shaft l9 journaled in the side plates !6 and I1. A blanket 29 is removably mounted on the periphery of the cylinder C and cooperates with a platen roller 2|; Fig. 3. to produce offset impressions on sheets or the like which are passed into the bite of the cylinder C and platen roller 2|. The image which it to be thus printed upon the sheets is transferred thereto by the blanket 20 from a lithographic master sheet M removably mounted on the periphery of a cylinder or drum 22 carried by a shaft 23 journaled in the ide plates l6 and H.

An inking roller 24 cooperates with the master sheet M to ink the image areas of the master sheet in the manner well understood in the art. Ink is supplied to the roller 24 by a conventional inking unit 25 which may include a ductor roller 26 periodically conveying ink from a fountain in the unit 25 to the inking roller 24. A distributing roller 21 is shown as cooperating with the inking roller 26 to distribute the ink evenly over the surface of the roller 24.

Our invention, as hereinafter described, provides means to prevent adherence of the ink to the non-printing regions of the master sheet. For the present, we call attention merely to the absorbent roller 28 of our repellent system which cooperates with the master sheet M on the drum 22 to supply repellent effective on the non-image areas but without effect on the image itself, which receives ink from the inking system and delivers it to the transfer roller. This absorbent roller 28 it will be noticed is out of contact 'With the inking distributing roller 21, though ad- J'acent thereto.

The sheets which are to be printed are fed one at a time across a table 35, Figs. 1, 2 and 3, into the bite of the printing couple comprising the platen roller 2i and blanket cylinder C. As each sheet passes through the printing couple it receives an impression of the image from the blanket 25 and is then discharged to a receiving rack or collector 33.

The platen roller 2! is shown as mounted on a shaft 32 journaled in a rocker including arms 33 which are pivotally mounted on a rod 34 extending between the side plates i6 and IT. The arms 33 are interconnected by a cross bar 35 which is received in the slotted heads of screws 35 which extend downwardly through openings in a stationary cross bar 31 secured to the side plates l and ii. Coil springs 38 encircling the screws 36 intermediate the slotted heads of these screws and the cross bar v3'! tend to urge the rocker carrying the platen roller 3| upwardly, but such action of the springs 58 is limited by nuts 39 which bear against the underside of the cross bar 37. The nuts 39 are adjusted to aiiord a predetermined clearance between the blanket 20 and the periphery of the platen roller 2 l. The adjustment is such that the platen roller will not pick up ink from the blanket when there is no sheet between the roller 2| and the blanket on the periphery of the cylinder I8.

The periphery of the blanket cylinder I8 is interrupted, as shown in Fig. 3, and the blanket 20 is stretched over the periphery of the cylinder between the edges along the recess affording the interruption. The ends of the blanket 20 may be scalloped, as shown in Figse 2 and 4, and slots may be formed in these scalloped end portions to enable the blanket to be anchored to hooked projections 4| on rockers 42, Figs. 2

' to 4, which are disposed in the recess in the cylinder l8. The rockers 42 are pivotally mounted on rods 43 extending axially of the cylinder l8 and fastened tothe solid end portions of this cylinder. Screws 44 are threaded into the rock sion surface of the cylinder [8.

The drum 22 on which the master sheet M is removably retained is of the same diameter as the blanket cylinder l8 and likewise has an interrupted cylindrical impression surface. A recess 41 is formed in the cylinder 20 to receive means for anchoring one end of the master sheet M to the drum 22, as for instance a bar 48 secured to the drum 22 in any suitable manner. The other end of the master sheet M extends slightly beyond an end of the cylindrical shell of the drum 22 and is anchored to a rocker 50 disposed in the recess in the drum 22. The rocker 50 is pivotally mounted on a rod 5| extending axially between the end portions of the drum 22 and is provided with means to engage the master sheet M. Thus this rocker is shown as having hooked projections 52 which are received in holes in the end of the master sheetM. Springs 52 are extended between a rod 54 on the rocker 50 and a rod 55 secured in the drum 22, these springs serving to place the master sheet M under tension to maintain it taut and smooth on the drum 22.

A clamping plate 55 is shown in Figs. 2 and 3 as'pivotally mounted as at 56'on the rocker 50 and as urged by a spring 51 against the outer end of the rocker 50 to clamp the end of the master sheet M firmly thereon. The free end of the clamping plate 55 is provided with a knob 58 to facilitate manipulation of the clamping plate when it is desired to insert or remove a master sheet. Tongues 59 struck out from the clamping plate 55 are disposed to engage the spring anchor rod 54 on the rocker 50 when the clamping plate 55 is pivoted against the action of the springs 51. This is done when it is desired to release the end of the master sheet M or insert a new master sheet, the tongues 59 bearing against the rod 54 and swinging the rocker 50 against the action of the springs 53 as the knob 58 is pushed inwardly. Stop pins 50 secured to the ends of the drum 22 limit the movement of the rocker 50 under the influence of the springs 53 when no master sheet is on the drum 22.

Hereinafter the end of the master sheet M anchored to the fixed bar 48 will be referred to as the leading end thereof, and the end which is anchored to the spring-urged rocker 50 will be designated the trailing end of the sheet.

The inking roller 24 is mounted on a shaft 65 journaled in bearing blocks 66, Figs. 1 and 3,-

which are arranged to slide in slots 61 in the side plates l6 and I1. Tension springs 68 are extended between the ends of the shaft 65 and pegs 69, Figs. 1 and 2, fastened to the outer faces of the side plates I6 and II.

There are also tension springs 16 between the The springs 68 and I6 tend to urge the inking roller 24 and wiping roller 28 radially toward the drum 22 and the master sheet M carried thereby. The bearing blocks 66 and 14 in which the shafts 65 and 13 of the rollers 24 and 28 are journaled are adapted to cooperate with sloping shoulders on cam plates ll-Figs. 1 and 2, which are slidably mounted on the outer faces of theside plates i6 and H. The ink distributing roller 21 is mounted on a shaft 10, Figs. 1, 2 and 3, journaled in the cam plates 18. Screws 18 passed through vertical slots in the cam plates 18 are threaded into the side plates l8 and I] to guide the cam plates 18 for vertical movement. A shaft 80, Figs. 1 and 3, passing through the side plates i6 and i1 and openings in the cam plates I8, carries eccentrics 8i which cooperate with rollers 82 mounted on the cam plates it.

The shaft 8B is provided with a handle fitjigs. l and 2, by means of which the shaft 90 may be turned to bring the high portions of the eccentrics M into cooperation with the rollers 82, thereby elevating the cam plates iflfAs the cam plates it are thus raised, the sloping shoulders thereon cam the bearing blocks 66 and M radially out wardly in the slots ti and it to lift the inking roller 2d and the wiping roller 28 out of contact with the master sheet M on the drum 2?, the ink spreading roller it being likewise elevated by the cam plates "it.

The separation described is eiiected whenever it is desired to insert or remove a master sheet, as will he explained in greater detail presently. In order to return the inking roller it, spreading roller 2i and wiping roller 28 into cooperative relation with the master sheet M on the drum 22, the handle hit is turned until the lower portions of the eccentrics ti cooperate with the rollers ti on the cam plates iii whereby the cam plates iii are lowered to enable the springs G8 and it to restore the rollers it, Hi and iii into the positions shown in Fig. 3.

The shoulders of the cam plates it are supported by adjustable stop screws in the bearin blocks st and id to prevent the inking roller 2t and wiping roller it from dropping onto the relieved portion of the drum 22 or into the recess pf this drum but the arrangement is such as to enable the rollers it, and it to contact the master sheet M. h

In placing a new master sheet on the drum 2%, the leading edge of the sheet M is first attached to the anchor bar dd on the drum M, Fig. 3, and the trailing end of the master sheet is thereafter attached to the spring-urged rocker til. The leading end is best attached when the drum 22 is in a position in which the' operator may with the greatest convenience have access to the bar id,

' The master M being of lithographic character is first treated to render the non-image bearing portions thereof ink repellent. After this has been done the handle 83 is again manipulated so as to render the inking roll 24, the distributing roller 21 and the wiping roller 28 eflective.

. For short runs, that is the for the production of a comparatively small number of copies, a single preliminary application of repellent to the master sheet may be suiflcient. When more copies are needed, repellent may be newly supplied from time to time and in any case it is very desirable to have the-means at hand to supply fresh repellent wherever needed without disturbing the operation of the machine. This is accomplished by our invention, and the mechanism we prefer to employ for that purpose will now be described.

In order that a master sheet as M may be so moistened or otherwise treated after it has been installed on the drum 22, we have provided a moisteningdevice iM, Figs. 1, 3 and 4, for applying a conditioning fluid to the master sheet M when it is mounted on the drum 22 and this drum is set in rotation. The moistening device Wt is located to the left. as viewed in Figs. 1 and 3, of

' the bite between the drums or cylinders 22 and C tit) and desirably adjacent the horizontal plane of this bite.

In the present instance, the inoistening device includes a trough-like member which is pivotally suspended from a rod iiil extending between the side plates it and ii and this member affords a well in which the conditioning fluid may be stored.

A wick it? extends from the well in the troughlike member toward the periphery of drum it to be engageable therewith. The wick is-normally out of contact with the master sheet (as about to be explained) though it is shown in the draw- (the drum 22 being then approximately one hundred eighty degrees away from the position shown in Fig. 3) and then the drum is so disposed that the trailing end of the master sheet may be fastended to the rocker ti, which is the position of the drum shown in Fig. 3. v

The drum may be readily given any position desired for installing the master sheet by the rotation of a suitable hand wheel 9d which is geared with the drum. As shown, the hand wheel is on a shaft iii which carries a pinion 92 meshing with the gear 93 on the offset drum C, which meshes with the mating gear ed on the master drum 22, as well as with a gear 95 on the platen 2i.

Whenever the master sheet is to be applied and the drum positioned accordingly, it is desirable to manipulate first the handle 83 to lift the inking roller it, the distributing or spreading roller it and the wiping roller 2% away fromthe periphery of the drum 22, inasmuch as such parts of the apparatus are to be rendered ineffective when a master sheet is to be initially attached to the drum 22.

ings in its applied position. However, since the wick W2 is to be intermittently engaged with the master sheet. an arm iiit is secured to and depends from the moistening device the and this arm is connected by a spring ildd to a pin it? fastened to the side plate it, this spring tending to retract the moistening device idii so that the wick I102 normally does not engage the drum it or the master sheet M thereon.

Retraction of the moistening device iiiii by the spring we is limited by a limit to the movement of a manually operable link Wt. The link Wt,

Figs. 1 and 5, is pivotally connected at one end to the arm Hi3 and has a slot it? therein through which the pin 11M attached to the side plate it projects. A finger piece its is formed on the free end of this link to be disposed at the side of the machine from which the table td projects, so that the operator may conveniently grasp the link and thereby rock the trough-like member about the rod iiii to bring the wick 902 into engagement with the master sheet M on the drum 22 whenever this is desired.

It is to be understood that power under the control of the operator may be applied to any of the gears 93, 9d and 95. heretofore mentioned, to drive the different cylinders of the machine in coacting relationship for printing. Either as a preliminary to such printing operation, or from time to time during operation, the operator may manipulate the link M6 to cause the wick to engage the is applied thereto for the purpose explained. Liquid continues to be applied as long as the op-' erator maintains the tension on the link I06. Whenever the pull thereon is relieved the spring I04 restores the repellent applicator to idle position.

Once the master sheet M has been properly con ditioned in this manner, the link I06 is released and the spring I04 then disengages the wick from the master sheet and thereafter the inking roller 24, the spreading roller 27 and the wiping roller 28 may be lowered into their eiiective positions, shown in Fig, 3, by turning the handle 83, Figs. 1 and 2, and. the machine may be continued in operation.

The wiping roller 28 serves to absorb any excessive conditioning fluid from the surface of the master sheet M prior to movement of the master sheet into cooperation with the inking roller 24. Then, as the master sheet M moves past the inking roller 24 it picks up ink on image areas thereof and then moves into cooperation with the blanket 20 on the cylinder I8, leaving an inked impression of the image on this blanket.

The platen roller 2i is spaced from'the blanket 20 sufiiciently so that no ofiset impressions will be made on the platen roller in the absence of a sheet intermediate the cylinder I8 and roller 2|. The sheets to be printed are fed by hand over the feed table 30 into the bite between the blanket cylinder I8 and the platen cylinder 2i, although, of course, it will be understood that an automatic feeding means may be employed.

Frequently, in the type of work for which the present invention is adapted to be used, only a small number of sheets are printed from each master sheet M, and in such case merely one application of the moistening fluid to each master sheet may be sufficient. In the event, however, a relatively large number of sheets are to receive an impression from a particular master, it will be desirable to applythe conditioning fluid to the master sheet from time to time in the course of such printing operations. This may be conveniently done by actuating the moistening device I00, in the manner above explained, and when and as required.

It will be appreciated that the inclusion of a manually applicable moistening device as I in a machine of this character is quite-advantageous; it obviates the troublesome operation of swabbing the sheet by hand, and materially expedites applying treatment to master sheets either when initially installed or from time to time in the course of use thereof.

The wiping roller 28 is absorbent in character and the master sheet is passed into engagement therewith prior to the time it passes to the ink applying means and thus the wiping roller 28 may be and is effective to remove any excess conditioning fluid that may be applied to the master upon manipulation of the moistening device I00 in the manner hereinabove explained. If in the course of use of the machine the wiping roller 28 should receive too much liquid, it may be readily removed from the machine and run over a sheet of absorbent material such as blotting paper or the like whereupon the moisture content therein will be reduced so as to thereby insure the wiping roller 28 will be properly conditioned to perform its intended function.

While we have shown and described a preferred embodiment of our invention, it is to be understood that the features described are capable of variation and modification, and we therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth but desire to avail ourselves of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the acting applicator, and an inking roller adapted to engage the master sheet.

2. A rotary drum adapted to carry a master sheet, means for supplying ink and repellent to the master sheet automatically consequent upon the rotation of the drum, an ink repellent receptacle independent of andadditional to the first mentioned repellent supplying means, a wiper adapted to lie in liquid in said receptacle and extend out of the liquid, and a pivotally mounted support for the wiper adapted to be swung to carry the external portion of the wiper at will into and out of engagement with the master sheet.

3. An apparatus for planognaphic printing comprising a rotary drum, means for holding thereon a master sheet having an ink receptive image, an ink applicator for applying ink to the image, impression me ans to transfer the inked I image to an article to [be imprinted, means accessible to the operator, from which articles to be imprinted are fed to the apparatus, a pair of spacially arranged repellent applicator means for applying an ink repellent to the master sheet. one of said repellent applicator means being in constant engagement with the master sheet, the other of said repellent applicator means being normally out of engagement with the master sheet, and means accessible to the operator adjacent the feeding position to enable the operator to move the last-named applicator means into and out of engaging position at will to thereby facilitate the periodic supplementing of the amount of repellent appliedto the master sheet.

WILLIAM R. ALLEN. CHARLES H. SAND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

